Folding chair



Aug. 25, 1942, I L. 1. MAINS 2,294,340

. FOLDING CHAIR I Filed Aug. 17. 1938 lNvENToR. LEMLEL [EVENM [N5 TTORNEY.

' bracket members 20.

Patented Aug. 25, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FOLDING CHAIR Lemuel Irven Mains, Hillsdale, Mich., assignor to Acme Chair Company, Reading, Mich, 'a corporation of Michigan Application August 17, 1938, Serial No. 225,378

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in folding chairs and particularly to folding chairs of the Y type having a pair of relatively short rear legs pivoted at their upper ends to the uprights which constitute the front legs intermediate the ends of the uprights, or spaced below the top thereof giving the chair in side elevation the appearance of an inverted Y.

An object is to provide a chair of this type which is simple and of sturdy construction and which is so stable that when unfolded to occupant supporting position a person might stand upon either end of the chair seat without collapsing the chair. The chair is so constructed that a curved seat such as is here shown will fold Within the plane established by the folded front and rear legs.

A meritorious feature of this construction is that though the seat will fold within the uprights and rear legs and below the back rest carried by the uprights, the seat is of substantial length and extends well back between the rear legs providing a comfortable easy chair for an occupant.

Another meritorious feature is that when the chair is unfolded to occupant supporting position it is releasably locked in such unfolded position and when the chair is folded flat it is releasably locked in such folded position.

Other objects, advantages, and meritorious features of this construction will more fully appear from the following specification, appended claim, and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a chair structure embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a partly broken away fragment of the chair, shown in Fig. 1, in the unfolded position, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section of a fragment of the chair shown in Fig. 1 of the chair in the folded position.

This construction is adaptable to chairs formed largely of metal and the improvement is here shown as embodied in a metal chair. The chair comprises a pair of uprights II) which constitute the front legs and which are braced apart at the bottom by a cross member IZ'and provided at the top with a back rest portion I4. There is provided a pair of rear legs 16 braced apart near the bottom by a cross piece I8 and pivoted at their upper ends to the uprights by angular These bracket members may be secured as by means of rivets 22 to the upper ends of the rear legs and pivoted to the uprights as by means of a pivot element 2,4 as

shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The rear legs I6 are adapted to be outspread rearwardly from the uprights as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to dispose the chair in occupant supporting position and they are adapted to be folded against the uprights as shown in Fig. 3 to dispose the chair in folded position.

A seat structure is provided which comprises a seat panel 26 that may be formed of laminated wood and angle iron side rails 28 disposed underneath and on each side of the seat. The panel 23 may be secured by rivets 3D or the like to the side rails and a back rail 32 is provided which extends between the side rails and is Welded, riveted, or otherwise secured thereto and which is of channel formation engaging the rear edge of the seat protecting and strengthening the same. It is here shown as extending entirely across the rear edge of the seat between the seat and the rear ends of the side rails. A cross brace member 31 is shown as extending between the side rails spaced forwardly of the pivotal support of the seat between the uprights. This seat is pivoted between the uprights 10 upon a seat pivot rod 34 that extends between such uprights. The seat projects rearwardly from the uprights and extends between the rear legs as shown particularly in Fig. 2.

The side rails 28 are correspondingly slotted as at 36. Each slot extends from a point spaced rearwardly of the pivotal connection of the side rail with the front leg to a point adjacent to the rear end of the seat. The rear legs are likewise provided with a seat pivot rod indicated as 38, which rod extends therebetween but is directly supported by angular bracket elements 40 as shown particularly in Fig. 2. Each bracket element may be riveted to its rear leg by rivets 42 and the pivot rod 36 extends between the forward portions of the brackets and is disposed for slidable movement within the slot 36. By this construction the seat is slidably pivoted or connected with the rear legs so that upon lifting the front end of the seat the rear legs are folded downwardly against the uprights and upon lowering the front end of the seat the rear legs are moved rearwardly away from the uprights to position the chair to receive an occupant.

It will be noted that each slot is provided with a downward extension at its rear end indicated as 39 in Fig. 3 and shown in dotted line in Fig. 2 within which downward extension the rod 38 seats when the chair is unfolded releasably locking the chair in the unfolded position. It Will be further noted that each side rail is so A folding chair of the Y type having a pair I braced apart uprights constituting front legs and a pair of braced apart rear legs pivoted at their upper ends to the uprights spaced below the top of the uprights and adapted to fold against the uprights or to be outspread rearwardly therefrom, a seat pivoted intermediate its ends between the uprights, a spring lock rod extending between the uprights spaced below the seat pivot, said seat having side rails provided with slots extending rearwardly from adjacent to the pivotal connection of the seat with the uprights to a point adjacent to the rear end of the side rails, said slots having at their rear ends downwardly turned extensions, pivot means carried by the rear legs and slidably disposed within said slots slidably connecting the seat with the rear legs, said pivot means adapted to be releasably engaged'within the extensions of the slots upon the unfolding of the chair to 00- cupant supporting position, said side rails having notched portions at their rear ends adapted to releasably engage over said spring rod against thepinherent spring tension thereof upon the folding of the rear legs against the uprights releasably locking the chair in the folded relation.

LEMUEL IRVEN MAINS. 

